Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Newcastle, Australia and Ludvika

For one person, living is cheaper in Ludvika: $1,563 a month against $2,577 in Newcastle, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Newcastle, Australia
Ludvika, Sweden
Newcastle
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,577
/mo nomad
Ludvika
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,563
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Newcastle and in Ludvika

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Newcastle and in Ludvika actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,577 per month in Newcastle vs $1,563 in Ludvika, rent included.

  • Newcastle $2,577
  • Ludvika $1,563

A couple spends around $3,805 per month in Newcastle vs $2,604 in Ludvika, rent included.

  • Newcastle $3,805
  • Ludvika $2,604

A family of three spends $5,033 per month in Newcastle vs $3,646 in Ludvika, rent included.

  • Newcastle $5,033
  • Ludvika $3,646

Newcastle costs about 65% more than Ludvika, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Newcastle and Ludvika sit above the global median – Newcastle by 90%, Ludvika by 15%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Newcastle
Ludvika
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.75 A$29.49
$13.80 SEK 137
50.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$104 A$147
$65.2 SEK 647
59.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.52 A$14.95
$10.22 SEK 101
2.94%
Cappuccino
$3.82 A$5.42
$4.33 SEK 42.97
-11.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.29 A$4.68
$2.62 SEK 26.01
25.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.76 A$2.49
$2.22 SEK 22.01
-20.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.85 A$12.57
$6.90 SEK 68.5
28.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.79 A$9.65
$7.19 SEK 71.3
-5.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Newcastle
Ludvika
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.42 A$2.01
$1.72 SEK 17.09
-17.44%
White Bread (500g)
$2.70 A$3.84
$2.58 SEK 25.62
4.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.95 A$2.78
$3.73 SEK 37.01
-47.72%
Eggs
$4.67 A$6.63
$5.14 SEK 51.0
-9.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.17 A$14.45
$13.38 SEK 133
-23.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.86 A$12.59
$13.06 SEK 130
-32.16%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.94 A$22.64
$27.69 SEK 275
-42.43%
Apples (1kg)
$3.56 A$5.06
$3.25 SEK 32.23
9.54%
Banana (1kg)
$2.95 A$4.20
$3.27 SEK 32.42
-9.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.90 A$4.12
$3.57 SEK 35.43
-18.77%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.39 A$6.24
$4.26 SEK 42.32
3.05%
Potato (1kg)
$2.89 A$4.11
$1.47 SEK 14.61
96.60%
Onion (1kg)
$2.32 A$3.29
$1.78 SEK 17.65
30.34%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.50 A$3.56
$2.29 SEK 22.71
9.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.40 A$1.99
$1.48 SEK 14.70
-5.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$31.88 A$45.29
$7.32 SEK 72.7
335.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.65 A$15.13
$10.28 SEK 102
3.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.34 A$6.17
$1.91 SEK 18.95
127.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.29 A$4.68
$2.31 SEK 22.90
42.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Newcastle
Ludvika
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.74 A$3.90
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$150 A$214
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.48 A$3.52
$13.23 SEK 131
-81.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 A$2.23
$1.99 SEK 19.71
-21.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$40.98 A$58.2
$79.1 SEK 785
-48.17%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.19 A$1.68
$1.78 SEK 17.63
-33.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.7K A$42.3K
$33.3K SEK 330.3K
-10.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.1K A$35.6K
$33.8K SEK 335.2K
-25.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Newcastle
Ludvika
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$218 A$310
$99.0 SEK 982
120.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.13 A$37.13
$20.34 SEK 202
28.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$56.6 A$80.4
$47.44 SEK 471
19.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Newcastle
Ludvika
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.94 A$63.9
$30.58 SEK 303
46.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.86 A$25.38
$49.87 SEK 495
-64.19%
Cinema Ticket
$14.09 A$20.02
$17.04 SEK 169
-17.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Newcastle
Ludvika
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,158 A$3,067
$219 SEK 2,177
883.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.7K A$19.4K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Newcastle
Ludvika
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.5 A$114
$101 SEK 1,001
-20.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.87 A$66.6
$54.6 SEK 542
-14.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$119 A$170
$94.8 SEK 941
25.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 A$167
$217 SEK 2,157
-45.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Newcastle
Ludvika
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,550 A$2,203
$450 SEK 4,461
244.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 A$1,700
$429 SEK 4,253
179.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,465 A$3,503
$949 SEK 9,413
159.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,864 A$2,649
$960 SEK 9,523
94.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$13.5K A$19.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,833 A$8,288
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Newcastle
Ludvika
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,099 A$4,404
$3,694 SEK 36.7K
-16.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.55
2.8
133.93%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Newcastle: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ludvika: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Newcastle
$1.2K
Ludvika
$429 64.2% $768
Groceries & Markets
Newcastle
$349
Ludvika
$408 16.9% $59
Eating Out
Newcastle
$321
Ludvika
$261 18.7% $60
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Newcastle
$301
Ludvika
$167 44.6% $134
Getting Around
Newcastle
$172
Ludvika
$23 * 86.5% $148
Clothing & Footwear
Newcastle
$164
Ludvika
$210 28.3% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Newcastle
$73
Ludvika
$65 11.6% $8.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,550 in Newcastle versus $450 in Ludvika. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 19% higher in Ludvika, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $104 in Newcastle versus $65 in Ludvika. Groceries tell a different story – $349 in Newcastle vs $408 in Ludvika – so Newcastle wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Newcastle
🇸🇪 Ludvika
🕒 Local time
10:08 10:08 AM
00:08 12:08 AM
10 h behind Newcastle
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
508,437
26,343
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.628 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 9.92 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.12 SEK (100 SEK = 8.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Newcastle Ludvika 15,670 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Newcastle
  • Ludvika

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Newcastle vs Ludvika: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Newcastle or Ludvika?
Newcastle costs about 65% more than Ludvika, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Newcastle and in Ludvika?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,865 per month in Newcastle and $2,344 in Ludvika. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Newcastle or Ludvika?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ludvika, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $450 there versus $1,550 in Newcastle.
How much does it cost to live in Newcastle compared to Ludvika?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,577 in Newcastle and $1,563 in Ludvika. That’s a gap of about 65%.
How do childcare costs compare in Newcastle and in Ludvika?
Kindergarten costs $2,158 per month in Newcastle and $219 in Ludvika. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Newcastle or in Ludvika?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,577 in Newcastle and $1,563 in Ludvika. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Ludvika – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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